A research paper being presented this week at the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference reveals that satellite internet services, including T-Mobile's used unencrypted transmissions that could be intercepted with about $800 worth of gear.
As first reported in Wired , the research from scientists at the University of Maryland and University of California San Diego found that calls and texts from users as well as potentially sensitive data from military and corporate transmissions could be accessed. The full research paper can be found online (PDF) and is titled "Don't Look Up: There Are Sensitive Internal Links in the Clear on GEO Satellites."
According to the Wired report and the research paper, providers including T-Mobile made changes to address the vulnerability. Ot